Sears Appliance Warranty Review (2024)
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The well-known American retailer Sears, Roebuck, and Co. offers four home warranty plans in addition to its appliances, merchandise, and other home services. Sears is a recognizable brand, but our extensive research into the home warranty industry leads us not to recommend Sears Protect Home Warranty. The company suffers from limited plan availability across states, higher monthly costs than competitors, and poor customer review ratings.
We recommend Liberty Home Guard (LHG) as the best home warranty for most homeowners due to its impressive coverage, strong customer scores, and high coverage caps. Our guide breaks down Sears Protect’s coverage plans, pricing, and customer reviews to help you determine if it’s right for your home. We’ll also recommend other home warranty companies to help you compare.
Our Take on Sears Appliance Warranty
Sears Protect Home Warranty plans offer positive features such as high coverage caps of $12,000, decent inclusions per plan, and bonuses such as 180-day repair guarantees. However, we identified the following concerns with these plans:
- Higher-than-average costs: Sears’ plans range from $50–$80 per month, whereas the average home warranty cost is $53–$62.
- Inconsistent availability: Sears limits plan availability depending on your location. We tried researching this availability and purchasing quotes from multiple ZIP codes, including Austin, Texas, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Tempe, Arizona. Sears only offered the appliance plan for each of these locations.
- Questionable future protection: Since filing for bankruptcy in 2018, Sears has closed more stores each year, with only 13 remaining stores nationwide as of January 2024. Sears is still offering its home services and honoring its existing warranties, but its diminishing business leaves future coverage prospects uncertain.
Pros and Cons of Sears Appliance Warranty
Sears provides an appealing overall coverage limit and lengthy workmanship guarantee but falls short in consistent nationwide availability and long-term reliability.
What Plans and Coverage Does Sears Appliance Warranty Offer?
Sears offers four plans: the Appliance Plan, HVAC Plan, System Plan, and Whole Home Plan. These plans vary from specialty system and appliance plans to comprehensive coverage. Each plan includes a 30-day waiting period and lasts for one year. Plans also include a $12,000 aggregate annual cap. We’ll take a close look at each available plan below.
Appliance Plan
This covers 12 essential appliances, such as built-in microwaves, cooktops, clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, ovens, ranges, and refrigerators. The plan includes a $3,500 cap for appliances.
HVAC Plan
Its HVAC Plan covers heating systems, air conditioning, and ductwork. Unfortunately, this plan is very limited, so we couldn’t find details for its availability or coverage caps.
System Plan
The System Plan expands coverage to 10 major home systems, including air conditioning, heating, plumbing, and electrical systems. It also covers ceiling fans, doorbells, garage door openers, smoke detectors, water heaters, and water softeners. This coverage plan includes a $6,000 cap.
Whole Home Plan
The Whole Home Plan combines the protection of the Appliance Plan and the Systems Plan for more extensive coverage. You still receive the $3,500 cap for appliances and $6,000 for systems.
Sears offers its appliance warranty to 49 states (the exception being Alaska), but the availability of its other policies varies heavily. The number of appliances and systems covered in Sears’ plans aligns with industry standards. However, its lack of add-ons removes the ability for homeowners to customize their policies. We found that it doesn’t deny coverage for preexisting conditions after reading through a copy of Sears’ Appliance Warranty sample contract.
The table below outlines the covered items under each Sears Protect plan:
| Coverage | Appliance Plan | HVAC Plan | System Plan | Whole Home Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air conditioner | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in microwave | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Ceiling fans | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dishwasher | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Doorbell system | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clothes dryer | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Clothes washer | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Electrical system | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Garage door opener | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Garbage disposal | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Heating system | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instant hot and cold water dispenser | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Plumbing system | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Range hood | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Range or cooktop | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Refrigerator | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Smoke detectors | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Trash compactor | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Wall oven | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Water heater | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water softener | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Optional Add-ons
Sears Protect doesn’t have add-on options. However, it does include additional benefits that other home warranties don’t. For example, it offers a 25% discount on repairs by a Sears technician for a non-covered appliance or system, a free refrigerator water filter every year, and more.
Why Would Sears Appliance Warranty Deny My Claim?
Sears Home Warranty policy contains exclusions common to most other home warranties. The only contract we could obtain and research was its appliance warranty. The sample contracts for Sears’ other policies weren’t readily available on its website.
We outlined some of Sears’ sample appliance contract’s most important exclusions below.
- Damage already protected by other warranties, guarantees, or insurance
- Damage, repairs, or replacements from natural disasters, such as floods, fires, earthquakes, lightning strikes, etc.
- Commercial-grade appliances
- Items lacking visible serial numbers
- Items that were improperly installed or repaired
- Flues and vents
- Damage caused by misuse, abuse, or neglect
One major benefit of Sears’ home warranty is that, unlike many other home warranty providers, it doesn’t exclude items for preexisting conditions.
How Much Does Sears Appliance Warranty Cost?
A company representative provided pricing information for each plan using a Hutto, Texas, address. Our team also pulled a custom quote for a 2,246-square-foot, single-family home in Austin, Texas. However, our quote only displayed pricing information for the Appliance Plan. Your pricing and plan availability may vary based on location and plan selections.
You can pay a monthly or annual cost for your Sears Protect plan. Below are the monthly prices for each protection plan:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Service Fee | Coverage Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC Plan | $36.99 | $100 | $12,000 |
| Appliance Plan | $49.99 | $100 | $12,000 |
| System Plan | $66.99 | $100 | $12,000 |
| Whole Home Plan | $76.99 | $100 | $12,000 |
What Is Sears Appliance Warranty’s Service Call Fee?
Sears Protect charges a $100 service call fee on each coverage plan, slightly higher than the industry average of $75.
How Do I File a Claim With Sears Appliance Warranty?
Here’s a breakdown of how to file a home service claim with Sears Protect Home Warranty:
- Claim submission: Log into the Sears Protect Home Hub Portal and enter your address and policy information. You can also call 419-558-4893. Next, select the item for which you want to file a claim and submit your request.
- Confirmation and appointment scheduling: Your contractor will contact you and schedule an appointment date and time. Sears will then assign a repair technician within two to 24 hours. Sears doesn’t typically allow its customers to choose their own service technician. However, its contract states it may enable you to select an out-of-network professional if no in-network technician is available.
- Repair complement: You must pay your service call fee once your technician arrives at your home and repairs the item.
Sears Appliance Warranty Reviews: Reddit, BBB, and More
For this Sears Home Warranty review, we read more than 100 customer reviews from independent review sites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot, and Reddit. Customer responses for Sears are mixed across review sites. Customers praise its technicians’ skills and speedy responses but also complain about poor communication and frequent parts delays.
Below, we provide a more detailed summary of customer sentiments:
What Homeowners Like
Happy Sears customers compliment their technicians’ skill and knowledgeability, the customer service representatives’ professionalism, and the easy-to-understand plans.
- Skillful technicians: Sears customers highlight their technicians’ promptness, skillfulness, and knowledgeability.
- Professional customer service representatives: Customers who interact with Sears customer service representatives are pleased with their professionalism and politeness.
- Easy-to-understand plans: Customers praise the clear-cut Sears plans, including the policy’s exclusion, coverage, and customer obligation sections.
What Homeowners Dislike
Displeased customers note issues such as poor communication, long repair wait times, and appointment cancellations.
- Poor communication: Sears customers note poor communication between representatives and technicians. Problems such as dropped calls, long callback wait times, and scheduling issues appear common.
- Long repair wait times: Customers complain that they had to wait several days or longer before appointment dates. Other issues include experiencing repair and replacement delays due to part orders.
- Appointment cancellations: One of the most common online complaints is technicians canceling appointments. Customers noted that technicians canceled the day of or shortly before the appointment time.
Average Customer Rating
Sears Home Warranty has mixed customer review scores across the board. On BBB, it scored 1.05 out of 5 and just under 250 reviews. Its Trustpilot score is much higher at 4.1 out of 5 stars, with more than 6,600 reviews.
These kinds of scores are comparable to those of other home warranty companies. Most other providers tend to have lower BBB ratings and neutral to high Trustpilot scores. For example, Select Home Warranty has a 1.39 out of 5 on the BBB and a 3.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
Customer Reviews
Below, we’ll present a combination of positive and negative reviews for Sears Protect Home Warranty.
Positive Reviews
Negative Reviews
Sears Appliance Warranty vs. Competitors
The following table compares Sears to other recommended home warranty companies:
| Company | BBB Rating | Monthly Cost | Service Fee | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NR | $49–$59 | $65–$125 | VISIT SITE | |
| B | $29–$89 | $100–$125 | VISIT SITE | |
| B- | $44–$47 | $60–$75 | VISIT SITE | |
| B | $42–$82 | $75–$125 | VISIT SITE | |
| B | $35–$94 | $75–$125 | VISIT SITE | |
| A+ | $44–$58 | $70 | VISIT SITE | |
| B+ | $30–$56 | $100–$150 | VISIT SITE | |
| A | $27–$70 | $65–$100 | VISIT SITE |
| Star Rating | BBB Rating | Monthly Cost | Service Fee | Response Time | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Home Guard | | NR | $49–$59 | $65–$125 | Up to 48 hours | VISIT SITE | |
| American Home Shield | | B | $29–$89 | $100–$125 | Up to 48 hours | VISIT SITE | |
| Select Home Warranty |  | B- | $44–$47 | $60–$75 | 48-84 hours | VISIT SITE | |
| First American Home Warranty |  | B | $42–$82 | $75–$125 | 4-48 hours | VISIT SITE | |
| AFC Home Warranty |  | B | $35–$94 | $75–$125 | 24-48 hours | VISIT SITE | |
| Elite Home Warranty |  | A+ | $44–$58 | $70 | Up to 48 hours | VISIT SITE | |
| Cinch Home Services |  | B+ | $30–$56 | $100–$150 | 2-24 hours | VISIT SITE |
| Liberty Home Guard | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Star Rating | |
| BBB Rating | NR |
| Monthly Cost | $49–$59 |
| Service Fee | $65–$125 |
| Response Time | Up to 48 hours |
| American Home Shield | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
 |
| Star Rating | |
| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $29–$89 |
| Service Fee | $100–$125 |
| Response Time | Up to 48 hours |
| Select Home Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Star Rating | |
| BBB Rating | B- |
| Monthly Cost | $44–$47 |
| Service Fee | $60–$75 |
| Response Time | 48-84 hours |
| First American Home Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Star Rating | |
| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $42–$82 |
| Service Fee | $75–$125 |
| Response Time | 4-48 hours |
| AFC Home Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Star Rating | |
| BBB Rating | B |
| Monthly Cost | $35–$94 |
| Service Fee | $75–$125 |
| Response Time | 24-48 hours |
| Elite Home Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Star Rating | |
| BBB Rating | A+ |
| Monthly Cost | $44–$58 |
| Service Fee | $70 |
| Response Time | Up to 48 hours |
| Cinch Home Services | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
|
| Star Rating | |
| BBB Rating | B+ |
| Monthly Cost | $30–$56 |
| Service Fee | $100–$150 |
| Response Time | 2-24 hours |
Sears Appliance Warranty vs. Liberty Home Guard
Sears and LHG’s plans provide similar coverage. Sears’ appliance and system warranties protect 12 and 10 items, respectively. LHG’s appliance home warranty covers nine items, and its system plan covers six. However, in practice, LHG offers more robust coverage with 40 add-ons. Sears doesn’t offer any add-ons.
LHG’s plan prices are comparable to Sears’ pricing. LHG’s home warranty plans range from $49–$59, while Sears’ costs $37–$77. Sears’ service fees for each plan are $100, while LHG’s are $65–$125. LHG and Sears’ customer review scores are not as close as their prices. Sears’ score on the BBB is 1.05 out of 5 stars compared to LHG’s 4.5 out of 5 stars.
| Provider | Monthly Costs | Service Call Fees | Number of Plans Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Home Guard | $49–$59 | $65–$125 | 3 |
| Sears Home Warranty | $37–$77 | $100 | 4 (availability varies by ZIP code) |
Sears Appliance Warranty vs. American Home Shield
American Home Shield’s (AHS) coverage is superior to that of Sears. AHS offers three plans: ShieldSilver, ShieldGold, and ShieldPlatinum. ShieldSilver covers 16 items, ShieldGold covers 22, and ShieldPlatinum covers more than 25. This coverage surpasses Sears’ lineup, with ShieldGold having the same number of items as Sears’ Whole Home Plan.
AHS is a more popular brand nationwide. Our survey of 1,000 home warranty customers showed that 37% of respondents went with AHS. AHS and Sears both have impressive coverage caps. Depending on your plan, AHS’s individual item coverage caps range from $2,000–$5,000. However, it has an aggregate cap of $50,000. Sears’ item limits range from $3,500–$6.000, but it’s limited to a $12,000 aggregate cap.
Sears Protect has lower monthly plan costs. AHS’s monthly cost is $29–$89, while Sears’ costs are $37–$77. Their service call fees are comparable. AHS has a slightly higher range of $100–$125, while the Sears service fee is $100.
| Provider | Monthly Costs | Service Call Fees | Number of Plans Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Home Shield | $29–$89 | $100–$125 | 3 |
| Sears Home Warranty | $37–$77 | $100 | 4 (availability varies by ZIP code) |
How To Choose a Home Warranty
We recommend taking the following steps when shopping for a home warranty plan:
- Assess your coverage needs: Gather information on your appliances and systems to assess your home’s coverage needs. Consider each item’s age, condition, and installation date before choosing a plan.
- Set your budget: Create a budget for your item’s coverage needs that accounts for service call fees, monthly premiums, and add-on costs.
- Request multiple quotes: We recommend getting three free quotes from at least three home warranty companies. Shop for quotes to find the best policy for the most reasonable price.
- Review sample contracts: Check each provider’s sample contracts on their websites. We recommend familiarizing yourself with coverage limits, exclusions, and technician policies.
- Research each company: Check each company’s customer review score through independent sites such as the BBB.
Home Warranty Cost Calculator
We created a calculator to break down the estimated annual cost of owning a home warranty.
To calculate your projected annual cost, use the following steps:
- Enter your monthly premium
- Enter your service call fee
- Enter your estimated number of claims
It’s best to request a quote directly from one of our recommended providers, as annual costs and service fees vary.
Use the table below to compare your calculated cost to repair and replacement costs for common appliances.
| Appliance | Average Repair Cost | Average Replacement Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Dehumidifier | $50–$200 | $1,300–$2,800 |
| Microwave | $50–$400 | $60–$2,000 |
| Dishwasher | $50–$500 | $400–$3,000 |
| Exhaust Fans | $16–$300 | $250–$950 |
| Electric Range | $100–$500 | $230–$3,000 |
| Gas Range | $100–$500 | $230–$3,000 |
| Dryer | $100–$400 | $450–$2,300 |
| Oven | $100–$430 | $400–$3,000 |
| Washer | $50–$450 | $400–$2,300 |
| Freezer | $90–$500 | $160–$2,900 |
| Refrigerator | $40–$350 | $200–$5,000 |
What’s Our Verdict on Sears Appliance Warranty?
A Sears Protect home warranty plan offers comprehensive coverage and unique perks, such as free preventative checks for heating and cooling systems. However, Sears Protect comes up short compared to top home warranty providers. Sears Protect limits plan availability based on location and charges higher monthly premiums. We recommend pulling quotes from three providers to compare coverage options and costs before signing up for a contract with any home warranty company.
FAQ About Sears Appliance Warranty
Does Sears still honor appliance warranties?
Yes, as of May 2024, Sears still honors its appliance warranty.
How do I claim my Sears warranty?
You can file a claim on your Sears Appliance Warranty by calling 855-256-2467 or logging into your account on the Sears Protect Home Warranty Hub Portal.
Did Sears’ home warranty go out of business?
No, Sears’ home warranty didn’t go out of business. Sears still provides its home appliance warranty alongside other home services. However, it has restricted which warranties are available based on customer location.
How much does a Sears Home Warranty plan cost?
A Sears’ Home Warranty plan costs $50–$80 monthly or $600–$960 annually.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
